Owner Liability

[calypso*a*go-go]

We have narrowed down our resale search to two listings. One would be the exact points needed for our current vacation pattern. The other would provide more points than we would use.

Although we would always give family/friends first option on the points, if we ended up having to rent to strangers, what would the liability be if they smoke in a non-smoking unit, steal towels, "trash" the unit, etc? Hopefully this would never happen, but what if it did?

Have any of you been affected in this way, and if so, what type of screening system do you have for potential renters?

Thank you (and sorry if this is a subject that has been addressed over and over again)!

 

[spiceycat]

I don't think this is a problem - Disney has insurance and for any damages above the normal - they also make sure they get a credit card at check in - you know so they have express check-out - they definitely get the person home address....

the places that you trade too that don't have this type of back up want a damage deposit - sometimes pretty high $300 to $500 range when you check in.

 

[HookdonWDW]

The bottom line is that as the owner, you will be responsible for any damages or unpaid charges on a reservation made with your points.

I for one would be very upset if Disney just billed insurance for malicious damage to DVC rooms, since the cost would be passed on to all owners in the end, in the form of increased insurance costs. Accidental damage or wear and tear is one thing, intentional "trashing" of a room is another.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to leave a credit card on the room - you only have to use a credit card if you want to have charge back to the room.

Also, when the Front Desk accepts a card for room charges, they don't check to see how much is available on the card. Therefore, the potential exists for someone to run up $1,000.00 in charges, and only have room on their card for $150.00. In this case, the owner will receive a request for payment of the remaining $850.00.

I know about this due to experience. We gave some points to relatives, and about $250.00 in charges had not hit the account by check out (items were charged day before checkout). They had inadvertently gone above their card limit, and we received a request for payment from MS's about a month later. Fortunately, the problem was solved quickly, but since then, dh and I have decided that we will either use our points or give/rent them to family and close friends. I'm sure that 99% of renters are honest, but it's that other 1% that worry me... JMHO.

 

[eva]

Wow! I have never considered renting my points, but this brings up a good point. It must not be a huge problem since I've never seen a post about members being charged for room damages or excess spending. But it does make me think twice about ever renting or gifting to someone I don't know fairly well.

 

[Richyams]

- they also make sure they get a credit card at check in -

Sorry, but that is not true.

I have never, ever given them a credit card when I checked in, not once.

I prefer to use my credit card for charging and not to have another card to worry about. I bring my wallet into the parks, I never understood the purpose of putting a credit card on your room key. My wife has our credit cards with her name on them, I don't let my daughter walk around with a credit card at home, why should I let her have one in WDW?

Of course they ask if you want to leave a credit card with them at checkin, I simply say 'no' and am not questioned or pressured in the least to give them a card.

Its simply an option, not a requirement.

 

[spiceycat]

the reason I do it - is for express check out - I was told that unless they (front desk) got a credit card - then you couldn't have express check out - is this not true?

can you get express check out without putting down a credit card.

Rich they only allow you to the use of your credit card - it doesn't have to be on any room key that you don't want it to be.

HookdonWDW - that is very good to know - I certainly didn't - I had assumed (wrongly) if there was a problem DVC would get in contact with the person who check in - not the owner.... Sorry about your problems glad you got it straighten out - would you give points to these relatives again? They have always asked my guest for an address - is this something that can also be refused?

 

[HookdonWDW]

I wasn't aware of the chargeback either, until it happened to me. I would still let those relatives use our points, since I think they were more mortified than I was! Once the problem was known, they bent over backwards to resolve it immediately. It just got us thinking about how much harder the situation might have been to resolve if it hadn't been a relative.

I'm not sure if you can refuse to give an address or not... I've never had it come up. Of course, the address on file would only be as truthful as the person giving it. My understanding is that they tried to charge the card on file twice before contacting us. Even if they contacted the renter/guest first, you'd still be on the hook if they didn't make good on the bill.

In our case, there was a card on file for the room. There just wasn't room enough to fit all of the charges. They had gone down and paid some of the charges in cash, and just didn't notice that all of the charges had not reached the account.

Check the folio that you receive when you do Express Checkout. I'd never noted it before the incident, but since then, I've seen that if you are in the parks during busy time periods, it sometimes takes longer for charges to hit your account. Also, I believe that you still have charging rights on the day you check out. Obviously, those charges won't be included at the time of Express Checkout. When I originally posted on this issue last year, there were other owners (I forget who) who'd also experienced having late charges.

DH and I now follow the Richyams philosophy, and usually pay as we go (although we do still charge to the room once in a while). It's not a lot more work, and it actually helps to keep us from spending more than we intended.